ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · bark · present · perch · snap · lash · wave · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. face — part of the head
  4. drill — a practice
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — there
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — army training
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. present — the time now
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com